


I Do

by Sparesmom



Category: Hart to Hart
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-17
Updated: 2019-08-17
Packaged: 2020-09-02 14:04:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20277103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sparesmom/pseuds/Sparesmom
Summary: My vision of the Hart To Hart wedding we never got to see. The show was a little loose with continuity of details so I was as accurate as possible.





	I Do

"And they lived happily ever after." Max proclaimed from his seat on the carriage. He was dressed as a fairy tale coachman straight out of a Walt Disney fantasy. Jennifer was wrapped in Jonathan's arms and she had never felt so certain of anything as she had when he proposed. The moment they met something in her had said 'Oh there you are, I've been waiting for you.' Not love at first sight exactly but a certainty that he was the place her heart would call home.  
Jonathan had known from the moment he saw her in the hotel bar that she would be his. He hadn't been looking for forever, he thought she would be a diversion. For a night, a week, a way to lay to rest the ghost of Nikki Stephanos. It wasn't that he was a playboy, far from it, when he was with a woman he was with her completely. He didn't run around and he didn't cheat. He just hadn't found a woman yet with whom he wanted to settle down long term. Maybe he never would. But then ...

One month later  
The little church was filled with people. So many that Jonathan was amazed word hadn't gotten out. But the lack of paparazzi proved that their friends had kept their secret. He was surprised that Jennifer didn't want a lavish spectacle of a wedding. Just the two of them with Max and Evangeline standing up for them, in the little country church in Hill Haven and a reception at her father's house.  
They had invited only very close friends and family, asking everyone to keep their secret. He stood with Max at the front of the church now waiting for Jennifer and Eva to come down the aisle. He'd expected to feel nervous if he ever found himself here, but with Jennifer all he felt was happiness.  
She was late. The processional had played but she hadn't appeared and now there were murmurs from the pews wondering where she was. Jonathan seemed to be the only one not worried right now. Yes, she was late, but he had absolute faith in her. She would never let him down. And so he waited.  
She was late. Jennifer was almost done with her hair but she should have been downstairs by now. They were quite literally playing her song. But she wanted to look perfect for Jonathan. The heavy white satin gown she wore gleamed in the afternoon light. It needed no ornamentation, just a simple column of creamy satin, long-sleeved but off her shoulders. And the short veil that was more of an ornament for her hair as she would not be covering her face.  
This would be the only wedding they would ever have and Jonathan had agreed to her request to keep it small with no press coverage. Jonathan Hart getting married would be front-page news but she wanted the day to be about them, not putting on a spectacle for the media. So, now she quickly pinned the veil in her hair and ran down the stairs. At last Eva poked her head into the main chapel and signaled the guitarist to play the processional again.  
Left, together, right, together, left, together, right. Jennifer concentrated on her walk, eyes on Jonathan beaming at her from the altar. In fact, she was so focused on Jonathan that she didn't notice when her heel caught the carpet and sent her listing to the side. Her father steadied her before she fell but in the process, she elbowed her Aunt Martha who did fall, right through the stained glass window. She wasn't injured thank goodness, and the wedding was able to continue after Jonathan wrote a large 'donation' check to the church's building fund.  
"I promise to give you the best of myself and always accept you the way you are. I fell in love with your strength and your fire just as much as your kindness. I knew right away that you were it for me, with no reservations or second thoughts. I promise to keep myself open to you and to make you a part of every aspect of my life. I found you without looking, and I love you without trying. I promise to share with you everything I have to give. I will lift your sorrows, and light your way in darkness. For as long as I live." He slid the diamond crusted band onto her finger as he finished speaking. That was another thing that had surprised him. Jennifer didn't want some huge, flashy ring. She had selected a plain gold band at first and only accepted the diamond one at his urging.  
"I want to thank you for being the love I needed when I didn't even know that I needed it. Sometimes a heart just recognizes home, and I knew in my bones that my soul had known your soul lifetimes ago. I give you my heart forever. I promise to always stand by your side, in good times and bad. I promise to work together with you to solve the issues that we will face from time to time. I promise to value you always and love you with everything I have to give. I will lift your sorrows and light your way in the darkness. For as long as I live." Jennifer slid the gold band onto Jonathan's hand with tears in her eyes.  
"I now pronounce you husband and wife. Jonathan, kiss your bride."  
"With pleasure Reverend." Jonathan gripped her shoulders and kissed her thoroughly. It seemed to last forever, and when it ended Jennifer turned to whisper in his ear.  
"I love you so much."  
"I am going to kiss you until the only name you will ever taste is mine." He responded fiercely.  
"I am yours, and you are mine. Forever." She told him.  
The reception was lovely. Stephen Edwards had tented the yard and everyone mingled and talked and just enjoyed themselves immensely. Jonathan knew that most women in her position would have wanted a formal, catered affair that wouldn't be nearly as much fun.  
Jennifer wandered about, hugging everyone, laughing all the time. Absolutely uncaring that her white gown was dragging in the grass and dirt. She only laughed at the stains and told him,  
"I'll never need a wedding gown again. Isn't that what we just promised each other?"  
"I can't even look at you without wanting to kiss you. I will love you for all my life, I know it." He promised again. He leaned in close so no one would overhear. "I want to be alone with you. I want my hands on you and your scent on my skin."  
"Let's go. The party will continue without us." She whispered against his ear They were spending the night at a little bed & breakfast nearby and leaving for their honeymoon tomorrow. No one except Stephen saw them slip away and he smiled to himself. He had snuck away with Jennifer's mother a few times as well.  
After Jennifer had admitted that they hadn't made love that first night, Jonathan had decided that she was worth waiting for. Although neither of them was a virgin, tonight would be the first time they made love. It had seemed a romantic and chivalrous choice at the time but these past weeks had been torture.  
Jennifer changed into a delicate white silk negligee she had bought especially for tonight. She couldn't believe she was actually nervous. Jonathan, waiting in the bedroom, had a few butterflies as well. He wasn't afraid of disappointing her as a lover but he was deathly afraid of not being a good enough husband to her. A strong marriage doesn't just happen, it takes a consistent investment of time and thoughtfulness. He vowed to himself that he would never allow work to ever take precedence over spending time with her. She came into the room now and every thought in his head was silenced at the sight of her. She climbed into the big bed and turned the bedside lamp off so the room was lit only by the crackling fire.  
"You are so lovely Mrs. Hart."  
"Why thank you, Mr. Hart."His kisses were gentle at first but deepened when she sweetly opened her mouth to him. His hands stroked her shoulders slipping the thin straps of her gown down and exposing her breasts to his touch. The hard points of her nipples grew even harder at his touch and he lowered his mouth to suckle first one then the other. Jennifer gasped as he bit down lightly on one.  
"Do that again." She felt the electric jolt of pleasure racing through her as his teeth scraped across the sensitive flesh once more. Her hands danced on his skin, touching, stroking, dragging her nails lightly through the thick mat of his chest hair. She moved lower but he gently shifted away from her touch.  
"Not yet Darling. Let's not end things so quickly." He kissed her again to take the sting from his words.  
"Como el amor es ciego los amantes deben acariciarse mucho" Jennifer had traveled all over the world and spoke seven languages in addition to loving poetry. Jonathan could read a schematic and build or disassemble all manner of electronics but he had no facility for languages so he waited for her to translate. "as love is blind, so lovers must caress each other a lot."  
"I could not have said it better." He murmured against her skin. His tongue laved her nipple again while his hands drifted down her back and around her hips. He stroked the satiny length of her thighs, every pass bringing him closer to his ultimate goal. Her breath came faster when he finally reached her core. Tender, rhythmic strokes on petal-soft skin until she came apart in his arms. Only then did he move to cover her body with his own. She was slick and ready for him, her heat nearly overwhelming him as he entered her. Delicious friction driving them both to new heights.  
He stayed with her, moving in and out slowly until he felt her climaxing again. Only then did he let go, chasing her into oblivion.  
They made love again and again throughout the night and when morning came they made love in the shower. Eventually, they managed to get dressed and meet Stephen for breakfast before he drove them to the airport for their flight.  
Since they were still avoiding the press they were taking the Hart Industries jet to the Hanging Horn Resort in Moose Lake Minnesota. Jonathan had reserved them a private cabin at the farthest edge of the grounds under the names Al and Mona Mundy. They could swim and fish and make love to their heart's content. Jennifer read aloud to him Napoleon's letters to Josephine, listening to her read love letters in french never failed to affect him.  
The caretaker Mr. Chalmers brought them meals twice a day on a tray. For lunch, Jonathan cooked for her. She was educated, well-traveled, and an amazing lover, but her cooking skills were abysmal. Fortunately for both of them, Max had taught Jonathan to cook quite well and he loved being able to take care of her in every way. Other than Mr. Chalmers they saw no one those first few days.  
Jonathan called Max each day at ten a.m. for any messages but they spoke to no one else. It was an idyllic two weeks. He promised to take her to Paris or Tuscany later in the year, after the press had been informed of their marriage and moved on to other things but Jennifer didn't care. They made love, and ate, and made love some more. It seemed to her a perfect honeymoon. She loved that rush, when he took her in his arms, knowing she was safe there, and loved always.  
They couldn't know that they weren't as alone as they thought they were. They had only been trying to hide from the press, they had no idea there was someone much more persistent watching them. Eric Calhoun had been a maintenance man in the Jonathan Hart building for more than ten years. He had watched Mr. Hart striding around like the king of the world. Had seen the fancy office with the multiline phones and two executive secretaries. Mr. Hart wore a suit and tie, not a grey canvas coverall. And Mr. Hart ate lunch at Chasens and La Scala, not bologna and egg salad. It wasn't fair.  
Eric had made a study of Jonathan Hart, trying to figure out why he was so much more deserving than Eric. And now Mr. Hart had gotten himself a beautiful wife too. It wasn't fair that Mr. Hart should have all that money and a woman like her too. And it's not even like Jonathan was that smart. He'd thrown the reservation information for the lakeside resort in his office trash can.  
When Eric found the crumpled paper with the confirmation on it he had seen his chance to even the score a little. He'd put in for vacation time in order to arrive at the resort a day ahead of the happy couple and now spent his days on the far side of the lake with a pair of binoculars. He'd watched them swim and walk along the shore holding hands. His binoculars were powerful enough that he could see the title of the book she was reading aloud as well as the movement of her lips. It was some french thing that looked boring as hell. After he discovered that they were rather lax about closing the curtains he'd stayed at his perch late into the night scanning the windows but none of them offered him the vantage point he needed and all he got for his troubles were a few thousand mosquito bites.  
Once the Harts realized that the people of Moose Lake weren't going to out them to the press unless he married a Kardashian, Jonathan took his bride bowling, and to the movies, and shopping in town. They even spent a day at the county fair, riding heart-attack-inducing rickety rides, and eating cotton candy and funnel cakes. Growing up in the orphanage, things like fairs and fried food on sticks were unknowns to him. But Jennifer was like a breath of spring, shaking up his world and making him feel like a kid again.  
He decided to hand the reins of his many companies over to his most senior and trusted VP Eugene Hayes, at least for the day to day operations, for a while and spend some time with this amazing wife of his. Her infectious laugh, her deep well of kindness, her love of adventure, made her irresistible to him.  
For the first time in his life, he didn't want to go to work. And Jennifer didn't know it yet, but shortly after he proposed he had taken a trip to Switzerland and moved ten million dollars from his personal accounts into one in her name so she would always be protected if anything should happen to him.  
Now, whirling through the air on some contraption called The Vertigo, he looked at her in the next swing over. They were flying around ninety feet in the air, the wind blowing her hair in a hundred different directions and she wasn't even holding onto the little bar that kept her in the chair. She had her arms in the air, laughing at the wind.  
"Darling, you amaze me," He told her when the ride was done and they were on the ground once more. "Is there anything you're afraid of?"  
"Only losing you." She answered him seriously.  
"Well, that is the one thing you never have to worry about. Shall we find a patch of grass, the fireworks should be starting soon."  
"Take me back to the cabin. We can make our own fireworks." She kissed his ear, making him shiver and wish they were already there.  
The drive back to the resort took the better part of an hour and it was fully dark by the time they pulled up to their cabin.  
The back of Jonathan's neck was tingling in a most delightful way from the feel of Jennifer's fingernails tracing delicate designs on it all the way home and it took him two tries to get the key seated into the lock properly. But when he swung the door open they both gasped. The room was in shambles, furniture overturned and cupboards emptied. Oddly enough, nothing seemed to be missing, just destroyed. Once they determined that the cabin was empty Jonathan called Mr. Chalmers and asked him to notify the local sheriff. While they waited for the police to arrive they started cleaning up the cabin. That's when they made the second startling discovery of the night, only Jonathan's things had been damaged. His suitcase had been upended, clothing had been cut to ribbons and a wristwatch was smashed. Jennifer's clothes were all intact as was her jewelry.  
The sheriffs deputy took a report but didn't sound overly confident at finding a culprit.  
"Mr. Hart, ma'am, it was likely some teenagers out causing mischief." He told them.  
"But only my husband's things were damaged." Jennifer pointed out. "Is that supposed to be a coincidence?"  
"It's likely you interrupted them before they got to your things ma'am. They probably heard your vehicle and high-tailed it out the back. Well, if you have any more trouble you just give a call back." Deputy Hale handed Jonathan his card and shook their hands then disappeared into the night. Mr. Chalmers apologized profusely and offered to move them to another cabin but the Hart's elected to stay in their 'honeymoon haven'. He promised to send housekeeping over in the morning and took his leave as well.  
Jonathan checked the doors and windows carefully and closed the drapes tightly while Jennifer started to tidy up the worst of the mess. It was past midnight when they decided to turn in.  
"Jonathan, do you think they will come back?" Jennifer sounded nervous as they climbed into bed together.  
"I doubt it, Darling. In all likelihood Deputy Hale was right and it was just some bored kids."  
"I don't believe that and neither do you."  
"No, I don't," he admitted. "But there is nothing we can do tonight. Just try to sleep, Darling."  
"Sleep?" She asked, incredulous. "Have you forgotten I'm on my honeymoon Sir?"  
"I have not," he answered, pulling her into his arms and kissing her soundly.  
Tonight she had chosen a vintage negligee from the '40s that made the most of her modest curves. The champagne-colored silk turned her pale skin luminous in the low light and Jonathan's hands stroked across her skin as gently as the fabric did. He was sitting up in the bed, propped against the headboard and pillows, necessarily nude as all of his clothing had been destroyed.  
Jennifer cuddled in his lap, working to recapture the lighthearted pleasure of the day. Fortunately, no one was hurt and the only casualties were some easily replaceable clothes.  
"Trust me, Darling, you won't need anything tonight." She whispered against his ear, moving her body over his. His body responded immediately, his hands moving to slide the gown up her legs. Always a very tactile person, Jonathan was discovering just how much he loved the feel of silks and satins gliding under his hands as he touched her. He was addicted to her, to skimming ultra-soft marabou or fluffy feather trims over her skin. And when the luxe fabrics gave way to warm, silky flesh and he could touch her and explore all of the different textures of her. Running his fingers through her thick red curls, holding the strength in her hands when they walked together, the soft, soft skin of her inner thighs. He seemed to find new ways to delight in her every day.  
Now he stroked her breasts through the lace bodice of her gown as she moved to take him inside her, slowly, inch by agonizing inch. When he was seated firmly inside her, when she was filled with him, she wrapped her arms around his neck and began to move slowly. Her eyes were wide and shining, watching his. Knowing exactly what she was doing to him. And then she leaned in close and his lips parted slightly in anticipation, she gave him the most sweetly chaste kiss. He was quickly learning that the most consistent thing about this delightful creature he married was her unpredictability. And that might be the sexiest thing of all.  
In the morning, he took her to breakfast then they went shopping for some new clothes. He felt decidedly grubby wearing the same clothes as yesterday. While they were gone Mr. Chalmers' housekeeping staff worked their magic on the cabin so that by the time they returned all was restored. A couple of new lamps and one side table had been exchanged but otherwise, the little bungalow was as it had been.  
"Let's go swimming." He suggested after lunch and Jennifer quickly joined him changing into a suit. As soon as she was dressed she ran for the dock, calling back over her shoulder  
"Last one to the raft buys dinner." She dove cleanly into the water and began a fast overhand stroke that had her nearly a quarter of the way to the floating raft before he made it to the water. He swam as hard as he could and barely managed to pull even with her, grabbing the raft's ladder a split second before she did.  
"Looks like supper is on you, Darling." He smiled at her and pulled himself up out of the water, lying down on the sunny float. Jennifer was laughing again as she followed him up the ladder, kneeling over him and shaking out her wet hair onto his face.  
Eric watched them lying together on the raft kissing and touching each other casually, but frequently. Looking at them right now no one could mistake them for anything other than the honeymooners they were. But where most would see a couple obviously deeply in love and perhaps remember fondly a time when they felt the same, Eric was consumed only with jealousy. The Harts' happiness ate at him like a cancer, eclipsing and destroying any joy he might have felt.  
He fantasized about killing Jonathan right now where he lay on the raft. He didn't doubt that he could shoot him and be well away before Deputy Dog showed up. But what if the cop was smarter than he appeared? If he thought to check the register and cross-check the other guests he would learn that one guest not only came from Los Angeles but worked in the Hart building. Eric wasn't about to risk his freedom no matter how satisfying it would be to eliminate the great Jonathan Hart.  
"Sitting in the drive-up lot at the Dairy Queen eating burgers and chili cheese fries isn't exactly what I had in mind for supper Darling." He was saying now.  
"You were expecting maybe The Four Seasons Minnesota franchise?" She asked with a grin. "Has there been any news from Deputy Hale?"  
"I don't think Deputy Hale could find a pair of stolen panties if the girl was still in them," Jonathan remarked cynically. "Hey look, there's a 'movies in the park' event tonight. They are running a John Wayne double bill, The Horse Soldiers and Hellfighters."  
"Oh Jonathan, let's go. It will be fun."  
"All right, I haven't seen Hellfighters since I was a kid." They stopped at a Walmart to pick up a waterproof picnic blanket and a big stadium blanket to wrap up in if the evening turned chilly.  
The films were projected onto the side of the courthouse with speakers dotted around the grassy square. They found a spot on the grass and Jennifer spread the waterproof picnic cloth on the ground while Jonathan bought two paper bags of popcorn from the vendor. He settled onto the blanket with his wife lounging against his legs just as the first images flickered to life.  
"You know," he said when The Horse Soldiers had finished and they were waiting for the second movie to begin. "I heard a story about when they were filming The Horse Soldiers down in Louisiana. John Wayne was staying on location but Bill Holden was staying in a Shreveport hotel. The director John Ford had forbidden the Duke from drinking during filming so Bill came up with an excuse that Duke needed to visit a dentist in Shreveport and the two of them went out carousing and got absolutely shit-faced drunk. But they still showed up on time and ready to work the next morning."  
"They certainly lived large back then," Jennifer commented dryly. She had never seen Hellfighters and greatly enjoyed the second feature. Jonathan had seen the movie already but watching it through her eyes made it seem new. She was fully immersed in the film, laughing at the jokes and gasping at the explosions. She even hid her face in her hands and peeked between her fingers at a particularly tense scene. After the movie, they stopped in at Doc's Bar and Grill for a nightcap.  
"Thank you, Darling," Jonathan told her, taking her hands in his.  
"For what?" The look of puzzlement on her face was only slightly less charming than the sight of her peeking through her fingers had been.  
"For being here with me, for being you, for making me feel like the luckiest man on earth." He raised their clasped hands and kissed her knuckles. They smiled that secret smile at each other, that smile that said they had found what the whole world was searching for.  
Eric watched them and silently seethed. He had followed them all evening, taking no pleasure in the movies, nor in the beer he was nursing now.  
It started with a kiss. Jennifer had leaned across the little table after his declaration and kissed him. It was innocent at first, but when he felt his heart start to race and the butterflies take flight in his stomach, he hurried them back to the cabin before things got out of hand. She had excused herself to the bathroom and returned wearing a dark green chiffon dressing gown with thick feather trimming down the front and cuffs.  
Her perfume was intoxicating, something delicate and new and he nuzzled her neck trying to find the source. He buried his face in the soft feathers of her gown but the haunting scent seemed to be everywhere, and nowhere. His heart thudded wildly in his chest as he parted the sides of the gown to find she wore nothing underneath. Standing, he scooped her up and carried her to the bed, depositing her carefully onto the pile of pillows.  
Time slowed to a crawl. He could see himself sitting beside her on the bed, lifting the satin ribbons of her gown, letting them glide slowly through his fingers. He pulled the ends very deliberately, watching the ribbon bow get smaller and smaller until it unraveled altogether and her robe fell open. Her skin appeared even paler than usual next to the deep green feathers.  
She made no attempt to close the robe or cover herself. She just let him look. The pulse in her neck fluttered wildly but her expression was calm, a tiny Mona Lisa smile on her face. He took in the dusting of freckles across her nose, as familiar to him as his own face but suddenly entirely new. Her firm breasts with their cinnamon-colored nipples begging him to touch them. The flat planes of her stomach leading to the patch of soft ginger curls and long, dancer's legs. God, he loved her legs.  
The heat in his stare almost burned her. Something in her had come to crave him insatiably, impossibly. The fire from his hands, his mouth, his eyes on her, consumed her to her core. She felt at once fragile and yet so strong in his arms. When he lowered his body over her and she wrapped her legs around him they each felt the same dizzying rush that left them breathless. It was like drinking a whole bottle of the '95 Chateau Margaux very fast.  
The room tilted and spun off its axis as they moved together. And when he felt her breath quickening, when his name was a tiny gasp on her lips, he spilled himself inside her like a man on fire.  
Eric was furious. Their honeymoon was nearly through and he was no closer to destroying Jonathan Hart than he had been a month ago. The damage in the cabin had done nothing to mollify him. Tearing up a little clothing meant nothing when the man was as rich as Jonathan. Eric meant to take something that Hart could never recover from. He was going to kill Jennifer Hart.  
On their plane would be the best place to do it. The pilot would be too busy to discover what was happening in the passenger compartment, and he would have plenty of time to get ... creative.  
The Harts stood on the shore in bathrobes and watched the sun coming up over the water. It was their last day. This afternoon they would be flying back to Los Angeles. Jennifer would be sorry to leave this place. Here she had Jonathan's undivided attention, when they returned home she would have to share him with employees, business managers, shareholders, and all manner of people wanting a piece of him. She knew she had to talk to him about it, they had promised not to keep things from each other.  
"Jonathan, when we get home. I ... I don't want to become one of those wives left alone all the time. I understand you need to work, and I do too. I just don't want to lose us, to lose this in the shuffle."  
"Darling, when we stood in the church I promised to put you first and to make you a part of my life. I meant every word. I've spoken to Eugene about handling a large part of the day to day running of the company so I can have more freedom. Plus, I've put you on Hart Industries Board of Directors so you will have a say in everything we do.  
"You will never be one of those wives left alone all the time because I could never leave you alone for long. I'm sure that other opportunities will come along, but we will explore them together. I meant what I said in my vows, you are my life now." He kissed her soundly before they returned to their cabin to get dressed and packed.  
Sneaking aboard the Hart Industries Gulfstream wasn't hard but finding a suitable hiding place was damn near impossible. Aside from the pilot's cabin, the jet was mostly one large open space with only a few cupboards and storage closets much too small to provide him with sufficient cover. Eric was forced to conceal himself in the lavatory and hope that no one needed the facilities before he was ready to reveal himself.  
He had a large, sharp hunting knife stuck in the back of his belt and he was eager to see the look on Mr. High-and-mighty Jonathan Hart's face when the blade was held against the pretty white throat of his precious Jennifer. He heard the pilot board and start the engines, and a porter obviously bringing on the luggage, then it was silent for about twenty minutes before he heard the muffled sounds of the Harts' moving about and getting settled.  
The small jet taxied smoothly then Eric felt the inevitable crush of takeoff. The pressure leveled after a minute or so and he quietly opened the door a bit and peeked out. Luck was on his side, Jonathan was seated facing the front of the plane and Jennifer was in his lap. They were talking softly and didn't notice him creeping silently behind them until he suddenly seized Jennifer by the hair and threw her to the floor.  
Jonathan started to jump up but froze when Eric pointed his knife at her. He grabbed her hair again and pulled her up harshly, ordering her to tie Jonathan's hands with a piece of rope from his pocket. Her heart was thudding out of her chest as she knelt in front of her husband and began wrapping the rope around his crossed wrists.  
"Tighter." Eric barked at her. She tried to leave some slack in the knot but Eric angrily shoved her aside and tightened the knot harshly. Jonathan had daggers in his eyes watching the intruder seize a handful of Jennifer's hair and drag her back across the aisle into another chair. He tied her hands separately to the armrests of her chair and turned both chairs to face each other across the aisle.  
"What are you going to do now Mr. Hart?" He spat the words out with particular emphasis on the honorific and moved behind Jennifer's chair, pressing the blade against her throat. A drop of blood welled up and trickled down her neck as she swallowed hard. Eric then moved the knife up and drew it very lightly along her cheekbone leaving a fresh trail of blood in its wake. The cut was shallow, barely more than a long scratch but it demonstrated clearly how sharp the edge was.  
"What do you want?" Jonathan asked, his voice shaking at the sight of his beautiful wife bleeding, with terror in her eyes. "Money? Name your price."  
"I don't want your money, Mr. Hart. I want you to lose. I want to see defeat in your eyes as you realize that you can't save your wife. I want you to live with the knowledge that you have lost her forever. I want you to watch as I destroy her in front of you. I want you to feel powerless for once." Eric sounded unhinged as he came out from behind the chair and knelt in front of her again.  
With Eric's back to him now Jonathan took advantage of the chance to try and free his hands. He had crossed his wrists deliberately because it gave him a tiny bit of slack to work with. Jennifer made a small sound like a fox in a trap and Jonathan looked up sharply. Eric had sliced her navy blue blouse open and was running the flat side of the knife along the edges of her matching bra.  
Jonathan's vision went as red as the blood that stained the white skin of her throat. He twisted his wrists again with a strength he didn't know he possessed. The rope cut deeply into his skin but he could feel it loosening a fraction.  
"I need you to know that no matter what happens, being with you, loving you. It was all worth it." Her voice cracked as she spoke, her eyes glimmered with sudden tears.  
"Darling," he spoke shakily but with certainty. "I swear on my life I will not let him hurt you." The tears in her eyes spilled over but she managed the tiniest shaky nod. "Look at me." He instructed her. "No matter what happens, just keep your eyes on mine." He twisted his raw, burning wrists again and this time he felt one hand slip out an inch. He braced himself and jerked as hard as he could. Nothing happened at first, the rope was hung up on the outcropping of his thumb joint. Pushing the pain to the back of his mind he twisted his wrist and yanked again.  
Suddenly the rope tore across the already abraded skin over the bone spur and his hand slipped free. In a blind rage, he launched himself across the aisle, hurling the younger man to the floor and jumping on top of him. The knife clattered away unnoticed as Eric, taken unaware by the ferocity of the sudden attack tried in vain to fend off Jonathan's fists. Jonathan wasn't even aware of his actions as he knelt on Eric's arms and began to pound his head against the floor, screaming incoherently, long after Jennifer's assailant was unconscious.  
It was Jennifer's soft voice sobbing his name that brought him back to himself and he turned back to her, fumbling to untie the knots that bound her rather than cutting them because he didn't want to traumatize her further by bringing the knife anywhere near her. He gathered her into his arms, holding her tightly, unable to say anything except to repeat her name again and again.  
She kissed his face, his arms, wherever she could reach. They clung to each other like survivors of a shipwreck as Wyoming passed by unnoticed beneath them. He very gently set her into a chair and kissed her forehead.  
"Stay here Darling," he told her. He couldn't risk Eric regaining consciousness before he was thoroughly restrained. Jonathan didn't trust himself not to kill the man if they had to fight again. He checked the toolbox in the galley and found a roll of duct tape that he used to secure Eric to a chair in the farthest row back from where Jennifer sat shivering. When he had used up the entire roll of tape he hurried back to his wife. She was in shock, staring blankly at the spot on the floor where Eric had been lying. He pulled her very gently into his lap, cradling her like a child and repeating her name again and again, pulling her back from the abyss like she had done for him earlier.  
When her teeth had stopped chattering and she was looking at him rather than through him, he reached around her to the small bar shelf and grabbed the cut-glass bottle of bourbon. He couldn't reach the shelf with the glasses but he didn't want to let her go so he simply tilted the bottle and took a fortifying slug then encouraged her to do the same. Finally, he examined her cuts. They looked fairly superficial and would heal without extraordinary care.  
When Frank set the plane down at LAX an hour later he found them still curled up together in the chair. Jonathan had removed his suit jacket and put it on Jennifer to cover the ruined blouse. Her tears had dried into faint white tracks on her cheeks. And Jonathan's knuckles were so swollen and stiff he could barely move his hands but he still managed to carry her from the plane and directly to the Bentley Max had pulled up beside the stairs.  
It took the police almost an hour to cut through all of the tape Jonathan had wound around Eric again and again, and in the end, they removed a fair amount of skin along with the tape. Lt. Grey made no comment as Eric, bruised and bloody and barely conscious, was handcuffed and tossed rather roughly into the back of a squad car.  
It was on Max's lips to ask what had happened but Jonathan caught his eye in the rearview mirror and shook his head. Jennifer was pensive and mostly silent as Max piloted the big car through the airport and headed towards the freeway but she seemed more tired than anything so Jonathan just held her close and let her come back to him in her own time.  
Suddenly she sat upright and shouted, "Max, stop the car!"  
"Now?" He asked, incredulous. They were nearly at the top of the onramp to the 405 freeway. He steered into the breakdown lane and coasted to a stop. Jennifer had jumped out almost before the car had come to a full stop. Jonathan thought she needed to be sick but she started to sprint back up the ramp.  
He watched as she dropped to her knees and scooped a small pile of trash into her arms and Jonathan climbed out and started toward her. When he finally made it to her side he realized that the bundle of trash she was holding was a filthy puppy of indeterminate color and even more indeterminate parentage. He was about to suggest a quick detour to the nearest animal shelter when he noticed that Jennifer was smiling. Truly smiling for the first time since they had gotten on the plane four hours ago. So instead, he carefully walked them both back to the car and told Max to take them home.  
All the way there she kept talking in a singsong to her 'little freeway puppy'. At the house, she sent Max to the pet supply for food, a basket, and puppy shampoo, then bathed the little dog carefully in a big serving bowl. By the time it was clean and dry they had determined he was a he, and he was grey, white, brown, and black all at once. And Jennifer had named him Freeway.  
Max put the little basket bed in his room and promised to look after him through the night, so the Harts went up to bed right after supper. Jennifer headed straight into a hot shower but not before sharp-eyed Jonathan spotted the hand-shaped bruises on her arms and breasts. He swore to himself that Eric Calhoun would die in prison, then he stripped off his own clothing and stepped into the shower behind his wife.  
His intent was only to comfort her but she wrapped her arms around him and pressed the full length of her slippery body against his own.  
"We still have a few hours of honeymoon left." She whispered in his ear. "Let's make the most of it."  
"Are you sure?' He asked. "I would understand completely if you want to wait."  
"He has nothing to do with us, with our loving. I won't give him the power to affect us." She stated resolutely. Jonathan was amazed at her strength, he wasn't sure he would have as much in her place. They took turns soaping and rinsing each other, every loving touch putting more and more distance between themselves and Eric Calhoun.  
Making love in the big bed that night Jennifer was more assertive than she had ever been. She had deliberately chosen a fire engine red negligee, the sheer illusion netting fitted her like a second skin with only strategically placed applique from shoulder to hip. The skirt was made of more layers of the sheer netting that played peekaboo with her legs as she moved. Jonathan was completely in awe of her as she took control, using her hands and her mouth to pleasure him before guiding him inside her. Where he would have moved carefully she was bold, taking her satisfaction from him and not letting up until they both were exhausted.  
Lying beside her, gasping and sweaty, he reached to bring her close again.  
"I love you could never come close to describing what I feel for you. I promise I will spend the rest of our lives making up for ..."  
"Stop." She interrupted sharply. "I never want to talk about it again. I refuse to give it even a second of space in my head. I just want you to love me until the fear is gone." Jonathan dropped the rest of his impromptu speech and instead kissed her for a very long time. They made love several more times that night. Each time she got a little bit closer to the woman she had been yesterday.  
The next day Jonathan called a press conference to introduce his wife to the world. He knew that news of his marriage would eclipse any possible mention of the events on the plane. Jennifer was able to hide the cuts on her cheek and throat with a skillful application of makeup. Standing beside him in front of the media she looked nothing but happy, and stunningly beautiful.  
Jonathan, who normally avoided publicity, was more open with the press regarding their wedding than he had ever been before, even going so far as to share a couple of photos with them and allow them to take more. Jennifer cheerfully shared details of her dress and shoes with the society page writers until even they were satisfied. It worked perfectly. In every article written, in every television anchor's report, details of the wedding were the lead and only in the final paragraph was there a casual mention that an attempted hijacking had been averted and the suspect taken into custody without incident.  
Jonathan credited a surprising source with being the biggest help in their recovery. Freeway demanded so much of their time, the teaching him proper in-the-house behavior and where his bathroom was in the yard, taking him for vaccinations, walks in the park, playing fetch, and of course lots of cuddles. There just wasn't time to brood.  
Romping with Freeway in the park always made her happy. And as promised, Jonathan had his travel agent start putting together a proper honeymoon that would see them ringing in the new year in Tuscany. He had a business trip to Sichuan and Shaoxing scheduled for October and decided to bring her along, His meetings wouldn't take long and they could explore the country in-between times. Jennifer had visited her father in Taiwan on her vacations from prep school and had fallen in love with the region. And since their honeymoon, Jonathan was looking forward to bringing home some new Chinese silk negligees for her.  
In the meantime, he and Max were attempting to teach her to play poker. She had a natural skill with the cards but couldn't keep track of the what-beats-what rules.  
"Two pair beats a pair, three of a kind beats two pairs ..." Jonathan was repeating for the hundredth time.  
"A straight beats three of a kind, a flush beats a straight ..." Max joined in, speaking around the stogie clamped firmly between his lips.  
"A full house beats a flush, four of a kind beats a full house, a straight flush beats four of a kind." They finished in unison, even Freeway barked at the last few words.  
"Then what beats this?" She asked innocently, turning a handful of cards around and displaying a ten, jack, queen, king, and ace, all of diamonds. Max dropped his cards in disgust.  
"Max, I think we are being hustled," Jonathan suggested, with a look of bemused pride.  
A few hours later the regulars started arriving for the monthly poker game. Lt. Grey was early so he could talk to the Harts about the case against Eric Calhoun.  
"Mr. Calhoun has agreed to plead guilty to the lesser charges of false imprisonment and aggravated assault rather than risk kidnapping and attempted murder that carries at a minimum a mandatory life sentence. But don't worry, he is going to prison for 10 years on each charge and the judge ordered the terms to run consecutively so he'll do 40 years minimum. He's being transferred to Pelican Bay next week."  
"I feel bad that I don't feel bad," Jennifer said. "I should feel sad that his life is ruined, but I don't." Jonathan didn't miss how her hand unconsciously touched her cheek as she spoke. The cut had healed to a very thin white scar, not even visible unless you were looking very closely. Most of the time she didn't even need to cover it with makeup.  
"Don't beat yourself up, Darling. You didn't do anything to cause this and Calhoun is very lucky to have avoided the death penalty. If he had been convicted on the kidnapping and attempted murder charges he could have gotten the needle. I'm almost sorry he won't." Jonathan added savagely.  
"Jonathan!" Jennifer scolded.  
"I'm sorry Darling. But if he had come to me we could have come to some kind of understanding. If he had come after my company, I might not have pressed charges. But when he tries to hurt you, I draw the line. My family is absolutely off-limits."  
Arthur and Tommy arrived a few minutes later. Then Jack came in with Max, both of them carrying trays from Fat Sal's Deli. Jennifer excused herself to help Max lay out the food. She separated the pastrami and turkey sandwiches under glass domes to keep the bread from drying out. The platters of deviled eggs along with bowls of pickles and olives were arranged on the bar with small plates, napkins, and party picks.  
Max made certain that everyone who smoked had an ashtray nearby, He didn't think Jennifer would appreciate ashes on the floor.  
"Who's still missing?" Arthur asked, counting chairs.  
"I asked to sit in," Jennifer told them, affecting an innocent expression. "Jonathan has been teaching me." Jack and Tommy looked exasperated while Max and Jonathan hid their smiles.  
Jennifer managed to keep up the innocent act for almost an hour, asking for the what-beats-what list twice more and appearing to bet emotionally rather than logically. But as the evening progressed the others caught on and stopped treating her with kid gloves. She had a natural sense of how to read the table, when to bet big and when to hold back. It was a skill that had served her well in college, hosting unofficial Monte Carlo nights in her dorm for a little extra spending money. When the party broke up around eleven Jennifer was up by almost a hundred dollars.  
After everyone left and Jennifer headed upstairs for a shower, Jonathan asked Max to bring up a bottle of Batard Montrachet and a couple of glasses before he followed her up the stairs. Tonight she was wearing white again, this time a bias cut silk with a high low hem and french lace applique. She suspected Jonathan must have had a personal shopper combing every lingerie shop in the city judging by the way new negligees kept appearing in her lingerie chest.  
"Did he have a family?" She asked Jonathan, sipping thoughtfully at the crisp wine. Jonathan didn't have to ask who she was referring to.  
"No, it was just him and his mother, but she passed away last year. I don't think he took it very well."  
"I'm glad he didn't have any family even though I'm not sorry he is in prison." Her gentle heart was one of the things Jonathan loved about her. But he would still feel better when Eric Calhoun was 700 miles away on lockdown.  
"Dance with me." He told her now.  
"Dance? There's no music."  
"So what. We can make our own music." He took her hand and began to sing softly "Dancing in the dark, middle of the night. Taking your heart, and holding it tight." As he waltzed her around the room she joined her voice to his.  
"Emotional touch, touching my skin, and asking you to do what you've been doing all over again." Jonathan loved to hear her sing, she often sang to herself when she wasn't thinking about it. He would stop what he was doing every time he heard it just to listen to her. She had a special fondness for old show tunes and love songs of any genre so now when she finished It's Your Love he launched into Because You Love Me and then You Look Like Rain. They danced and drank wine long into the night. It was the first night since their wedding that they didn't make love, not in the traditional sense anyway, but they were making love with each step and every note.


End file.
